Question on where to go next? 4 yr old ready for LHFHG?

[tkeller]

Hello! My son (only child so far) is 3 and we are currently working through Little Hands to Heaven. We gave really been taking it slow and easy, so I figure we will probably finish up close to his 4th birthday (June 29). My question is where to go next? We are also working through Phonics Pathways and he is sounding out words, so we will continue that and he is doing some other workbook type stuff (the About 3 series and Earlybird Kindergarten 1a). I figure these are my option:

1. Start LHFHG half speed and take 2 years. I just worry about his reading comprehension. I've looked through the sample guides and that is my only worry.

2. Do another curriculum for one year until he's 5 and then start LHFHG. I already have sonlight P4/5. We also read the sonlight P3/4 books while doing LHTH. I'm just not loving it the way I love Heart of Dakota. Also Sonlight isn't really a curriculum I can stick with due to the costs.

3. Repeat LHTH? I am already using the older bible. Not sure if he'd mind doing evrything over again or not? Anyone ever do this?

So what would you do? Stop worrying about it cause he's only 3?lol

[mommyofgirls]

i think a 4 yo could definitely do LHFHG at half speed, depending on the child's interest level and personality. i am using it with my kindgergartener and my 3 yo was doing LHTH in the fall. after a few weeks of that, she just started doing LHFHG with us and she loved it. however, i do my own math and phonics and tailor thos specifically to each girl. so, let me rephrase...i think a 4 yo could definitely do the left side of the guide, depending on the interest level and personality. i think the skills required for some of the right side might be more than most 4 yo's could handle, specifically the fine motor skills box. if it is important to you to do the WHOLE guide when you get to it, i would spend the next few months reading him lots of books, working on Kumon books an the like for his fine motor skills and continue on with phonics and some light math. then, reevaluate in january and see how his fine motor and reading comprehension skills have come along.

[countrymom]

I am in your shoes. My son will be about a month shy of 4 when he is done with LHTH this fall. I considered LHFHG at 1/2 speed, but I don't think he is ready for the history and storytelling. So I am going to somewhat repeat LHTH and do my own thing. This is what I am doing if it helps:
-Bible story using a different Bible
-Devotional using a different devotional book (ABC book this time)
-Action rhyme
-repeat art activities because I think he will get more out of it this time
- work in the "Before the Code" books for phonics (there are 3)
-work in "Handwriting Without Tears" for beginning writing
- coloring for coordination
- throw in some of my own storytelling with simple books
- numbers with preschool books we have and number section from "Handwriting Without Tears"
- topic of the week with library books
First, I will NOT do all of that each day I actually have a template on my computer with boxes like Carrie does and I will rotate between the activities throughout the week, doing the Bible, action rhyme and phonics everyday. We did the topic of the week with my oldest son for kindergarten and I really liked that. He learned a lot. That will be our "science" box and I will do it 2 or 3 days a week. It does take a weekly library run, but I do that anyway. This is my way of piecing a year together for him so he can mature and gain full value from Little Hearts. Good luck with your decision.

[MomtoJGJE]

We will be starting LHFHG with DD2 and DD3 when dd3 is only a few months past 4... I'm planning on doing about 12 units half speed with 4 day weeks and then re-evaluating abilities at that point. DD3 will not be able to do everything well, but she'll be learning and her abilities will improve as she gets older. The way I have it planned out she'll be 6 when we start Beyond with her so I'm not worried about down the road either.

[creativemommy]

For us, we're going through LHTH this year with my dd who's 3. For next year our plan is similar to what countrymom posted above going through LHTH a second year in a row but with these changes:

From the LHTH guide we'll follow plans for...
the Bible Stories & Devotional book using the 4-5 year old options (New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes & My ABC Bible Verses) AND the Rhymes, again! My dd has LOVED them this year! We may or may not do the art activities - will depend on her, the day and what else we're doing - she's loved them all this year!

On our own we'll work through...
100 Easy Lessons teaching her to read - she's so ready! We may do 3 lessons per week - not sure yet.

From the LHFHG guide (got the idea after talking with Carrie & Julie last weekend at the convention - thank you, Ladies!!!! )... Singapore's Earlybird math and Do it Carefully/Finding the Answers (every other day).

We're not going to begin handwriting until she's in doing the LHFHG guide completely for her Kindergarten year in the fall of 2011. Just my personal decision for her.

[sharonb]

I 2nd the suggestion for using the "Before the Code" books. My 5yo went through those when he was 4, and they really helped him to learn all of his letter sounds. He also did the "A" and "C" workbooks from the R&S ABC workbooks (we made sure to save D and F for when he started Little Hearts). The "About Three" series of workbooks is good for that age too. Of course, if your child isn't ready for a bunch of workbooks, you don't have to do any of that stuff!

I know some 4yo children can handle Little Hearts, but when I tried it last year with mine, he was not ready for it. We started it back up a few weeks ago full-speed (he's 5 years, 4 months now), and he is getting so much out of it compared to a year ago when we tried it. So, if I were you, I would use some of the suggestions given for going through LHTH again using different resources.

[tkeller]

Thanks for all the suggestions! We are already using the "harder" books from LHTH so that's not an option. He is also reading bob books and knows all his letter sounds so I guess if we did LHTH again we could just skip the letter sounds parts. I am thinking maybe of starting over with LHTH and skipping over the letter sounds parts, and adding HWT Pre-K book, keep going with the Phonics Pathways, and Singapore Earlybird Kindergarten Math workbook. We also can keep going with the About 3 series. Maybe add in some of the Sonlight P4/5 books I already have.

[psreit]

We haven't personally used LHTH, but I just wanted to comment that reading the same stories over is okay. Children that age don't mind repetition. When my dc were that age, they asked to hear certain books over and over again I have decided to use LHFHG with our dd who will soon be 7 and is finishing kindergarten. I just received the books, and looking it over, I'm glad I stepped back from Beyond, which I had in my hands already. We will use it in 2011. We have had The Beginner's Bible for a while. That is used in Beyond. Although dd has heard many of the stories in it, I know she will enjoy hearing them again. Each time, they may glean something new from it Just something to keep in mind when deciding what books to read.

[my3sons]

Welcome to the HOD Board, tkeller! Well, I'm so glad to hear you've had a great year with LHTH. You've come up with some good ideas, and the ladies have been so helpful with suggestions too. So, I guess I'd lean toward either doing LHTH again with whichever Bible and devotional you didn't use and adding either "Before Explode the Code" or "Do It Carefully/Finding the Answers" , and possibly Earlybird Kindergarten Math along with the hands-on math lessons in LHFHG if he seems ready and you'd like to. Or, I'd start LHFHG half-speed but probably do phonics daily. If he seems ready for phonics and some beginning fine motor skills, and he can listen to you reading a few pages of books with fewer pictures quite well, I'd start LHFHG half-speed. If he does not seem ready for phonics, is not ready for fine motor skills instruction, and/or can't listen very well to books with fewer pictures, I'd do the LHTH option with whatever suggestions would fit him well. I think either of these options is a winner - just depends on your little sweetie. If you get a chance to pop back in and share your thoughts about this - we can all help you fine-tune it! HTH!

In Christ,
Julie